Safety-razor



A. L. JOHNSTON, JR.

SAFETY RAZOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1920.

1 9 39 1 93- Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W 1.16.22: argsZWefikns/Zarqfi EVA-mm v A. L. JOHNSTON, 1R.

SAFETY RAZOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.2?, 1920.

Patented Nov 22, W21.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. L. J0HNSTON,'JR. v

SAFETY RAZOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.27-, 1920.

1,398,193, PatentedNov 22,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ANDREW LANGSTAFF JOHNSTON, JR, 015 RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

SAFETY-RAZOR.

ieeaiaa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 22,1921.

Application filed April 27, 1920. Serial No. 377,063.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW LANGSTAFF JOHNSTON, J r.,-a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new andfuseful Improvements in Safety-Razors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a. full, clear and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the. art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in safety razors, and has for an object to provide an improved razor in which the blade may be retained in its assembled condition on the razor holder without the necessity of removing the same for purposes of stropping, and which is used in conjunction with an improved form of guard adapted to catch the lather as the shaving operation proceeds, the blade being movably mounted so as to swing free of the guard to permit the removal of accumulations of lather and permit drying.

Another object of the invention lies in an improved mounting for the blade which permits it to have the above referred to pivotal adjustment, and which is so constructed and arranged as to be capable of operation in a quick and facile manner. I

A further object of the present invention resides in providing in conjunction with the pivotal mounting of the blade and the means for accomplishing the swinging thereof, certain parts by which the adjustment of the blade with respect to the guard may be had.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and in which simition and with lar reference symbols indicate corresponding parts in the several views: .Figure l'is an enlarged side view of an improved razor constructed according to the present invention and showing the blade in two positions. 4

Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear View of the holder, showing the blade in the raised posia' portion of the handle out away. I

Fig. ei's a enlarged front View] a the razor with the blade' closed and with the Fig. 4 is a similar view with the blade in Q j the raised position;

i at that y 5 is a perspective View; of a blade be used in the'improved, razor.-

thereagamst.

the guard Fig. 6 is a perspective View, with parts in section, of the improved holder.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view showing the guard holder and with the blade in the raised position.

Fig. 8 isa similarview with the blade closed; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side view showing the method of applying and removing the blade. 7

Fig. 10 is a view' in elevation of a slightly modified form of razor and clip. 1

, Fig. 11 is anedge view thereof.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of the same.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the improved means for releasably holding the blade in the clip. I

Fig.. 14 is a perspective View of the blade; and

Fig. 15 is a side view of the improved deviceassembled on the razor holder.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates the handle of the razor which may be of any suitable construction and ornamental form, and 2 designates the holder for the blade which is combined with bent into a substantially trough-shape, as

indicated in Fig. 1, to form a receptacle beneath the blade for catching the lather as the blade edge is moved over the face.

As indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, the guard 3 is provided with suitable perforations or slots 4 inthe free edge thereof where the. sharp edge of the blade 5 is adapted to rest permit the passage of the lather into the trough;

Cleats Glare formed at opposite ends of 3, and are-for the purpose of receiving the blade edge 5 when the same is These slots or perforations 4 V in the operative position in readiness for shaving. These slots may be formed in any suitable manner, and I do not wish to be restricted to any particular arrangement, as

the uard may be varied in numbers of ways. T e holder 2"is more particularly shown in Fig. 5, and extends about the rear of the razor and in a substantially semi-circular form together with the guards3. At, its upper "side edges the guard 3 is provided with forwardly projecting bearings 7, preferably made an one piece with the sheet metal of the holder, and extending at right angles thereto. The bearings 7 are made enlarged at their upper ends where they are provided with elongated slots 8 having openings 9 through the'tops thereof to receive the blade, as hereinafter described.

The holder 2, centrally thereof and at its upper edge, is provided with rolled-over eyes 10 between which is made a recess 11. In the recess is mounteda thumb wheel 12 having a knurled or other suitable edge 13' forfacilitating its turning. A shaft 14: is journaled in the rolled over eyes 10 to support the thumb wheel 12 for rotary motion therebetween, the recess 11 being for the,

purpose of receiving said wheel and permitting it to extend through the holder 2 for coming in contact with the blade, as later referred to.

A pin 15 is madeto project from the side of the thumb wheel 12 for the purpose of coming into contact with'the rear wall of the holder 2 to limit the turning movement of the wheel when it arrives in the position, for instance, shown in Fig. 8. A cam nose 16 is provided on the thumb wheel 12 and isv made to extend forwardly therefrom."

Thiscam nose may be of any suitable shape for accomplishing the purpose for which t is intended, and it is with advantage designed as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, where it is clear that the under side of the nose 16 may also act as a stop by engaging the wall Fig. 5, and is reinforced by a binder strip" 20 of suitable metal which 'is bent substantially U-shape, clamping the inner edge of the blade 5 therebetween. .A small steel v Wire is clamped in the bight of the binder strip 20, and has its ends p'rojectingtherebeyond and beyond the side edges of, the

blade 5 to form trunnions-21 on which the blade may pivot.

In practice, the blade 5, assembled with the binder 20' andthe trunnions 21 as shown in Fig. 5, is applied in the manner shown in Fig; 9 to the projecting upper ends of the spring arms'17, and-such, arms are pressed downwardly thereby, yielding .in the manner indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, so that the trunnions 21 may be brought to positions above the openings 9 to the slots 8. The trunnions are then moved downrasaree wardly through such openings and into the slots 8, pressure being thereupon released from the spring arms 17 which act to return to the initial upper position, thus effectually clamping the trunnions 21 in the upper portions of the slots 8.

The trunnions 21 are free to turn in the slots 8 so that the blade may be swung downwardly to the position also shownin dotted lines in Fig. 1. For accomplishing this result the binder strip 20 of the blade 5 is preferably knurled, a indicated at 22 in 5, such knurled portion 22 being in contact with the knurled edge 13 of the thumb wheel 12.

A rotation of the thumb Wheel 12 in a clockwise direction will therefore operate to swing the blade 5 downward to close the mouth of the trough formed bythe holder 2 and guard 3. After the blade has been so swung down and the cutting edge thereof brought into alinement with the clips 6, the cam nose 16 on'the thumb wheel is brought actively into engagement with the knurled portion 22 of the blade binder, and the further movement of this cam nose will force the entire blade assembly downwardly in opposition to the spring arms 17. The blade is thus moved into the clips 6 and into a proper position with respect to the guard slots 4, so that it is now ina position for shaving. I I

A fiat tip- 23 on the cam nose 16 engages against the knurled portion 22 of the blade binder, as indicated in Fig. 8, and locks the blade in the operative position. Of course the thumb Wheel 12 may be' turned to various positions, in order to adjust the blade edge with respectito the guard.

The blade 5 may be removed from the holder at any time by releasing the pressure of the spring arm 17 and lifting the trunnions 21 through the openings 9 in the slots 8; but it is preferred that tliis razor'be used in conjunction with a case which contains a stropping device, forming the subject-mat-.

ter, of' a separate application, and where this.

is done the blade 5 may remain in place on the holder and simplybe swung up to the full line position shown in Fig. 1,'where the blade mayenter between the "stropping rolls of the case.

Referring more particularly'to Figs. 10.

to 15 inclusive, the blade 30 shown isof the type now generally in use on the auto-strop razor, and is provided with the notches 31 in its opposite ends. The holding clip is rolled centrally to prggide a cylindrical. spring.

e clamps 33 and 34 releasi portion 32 and s1 ably held together by the; action of the .spring portion32." Theinner ed e of the blade 30 is adapted tobe receive between the clamps 33 and 34:, asshown in Fig. 11.

In one end one of the clamps, for instance 33, is provided witha notch 35 to receive the 1 30 turned over end 36 on the adjacent end of the companion clamp 34. The opposite end of the clamp 33 is cut away as indicated at 37, while the proximate end of the clamp 34 is punched or otherwise formed w1th a lug or projection 38 made of substantially triangular shape and having a sloping or cam surface 39 adapted to be engaged by the blade as it is moved into the clip.

The clip is, of course, made of sprlng metal so that the end of the clamp 34 which carries the projection 38 will be allowed to recede away from the blade when the latter engages the cam face 39. This spring action will be assisted by the provision of a slot 40 made along the upper edge of the clamp 34 and between same and the cylindrical spring portion 32. As soon as the blade 30 is moved all the way into the clip the notch 31 will be presented to the projection 38 so that the spring action will move such projection into the notch and the abrupt wall 41 will act to effectively bind the was left open.

blade in place.

A tab or thumb piece 42 projects outit is desired to remove the blade. The cylindrical spring portion 32 of the clip is continued outwardly at both ends beyond the clamps to provide trunnions 43 and 44, the lower end being rolled together as indicated at 45 in order that the trunnions may assume a true cylindrical shape.

The trunnions are fitted in slots 46 made in the holder 47 which is similar to the holder 2 describedin connection with the first form of the invention, there being this difference that the slot 46 is closed as shown in Fig. 15, whereas in the former case it By having the slot 46 closed the trunnions 43 and 44' are permanently held therein,. the holder being originally bent axially from the trunnions lt is, of course, not necessary to have the clip removable from the holder 47, as the blade is easily withdrawable from the clip.

Itis obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to such features except as may be required by the claims.

Iclaim: i 1 1. An improved safety razor comprisinga handle, a holder carried thereby and provided with a guard, and a blade swingingly mounted in said holder and adapted to reciprocate in a rectilinear path to and from the guard, and means to cause the swinging and reciprocating movement of thebladef substantially as described. ,1 v

2. An improvedlsafety razor comprising av handle, a holder carried thereby, a guard on the holder, a blade removably mounted in the holder and fitted to swing to and from the guard, said blade also mounted for reciprocating movement in a rectilinear path, and a cam device having a portion meshing with said blade to swing and reciprocate the same successively, substantially as described.

3. An improved safety razor including a holder, slotted bearings thereon having openings therethrough, a blade having trunnions removably fitted in said slotted bear .jecting beyond the bearings, a blade having trunnions adapted to engage the projecting ends of the springs to force the same to a position allowing of the insertion of the trunnions in the open slotted bearings, means for turning the blade in the trunnions, and

a guard against which the cutting edge of the blade is adapted to rest when in operative position, substantially as described.

5. An improved safety razor comprising a holder, a blade having notches, a clip for holding the blade composed of a pair of clamps adapted'to receive the blade therebetween, said clip having means at one end to engage the notch of the blade at that end, means on one of the clamps at the opposite I, end of the clip for engaging in the other notch of the blade, said means being rigid with theclamp to which it is attached, the end'of the clamp to which said means is attached being yiel-dable away from the blade, and a part extending from said clamp beyond the blade edge for engagement by the finger, substantially as described.

6. An improved safety razor comprising. a holder,- a blade having notches in its side edges, a clip for holding the blade comprising a pair of clamps for receiving the notched portion of the blade therebetween, said clip having means at one end for engaging one of the notches of the blade, one of the clamps at the other end ofthe clip provided with a .projection adapted to enter the other notch of the blade, said clip being slotted along the portion of the clamp carrying said projection, and a finger p1ece extending from the 'ortion of the clamp carrying said pro.- ectmn outwardly beyond the edge of the lane, substantially as described.

7. An im roved safety razor including a holder, a c p mounted in said holder and its other end, the other clamp 'at the endembodying a pair of clamps, a blade adapted to be removably inserted between said clamps, said blade having notches in its ends, means to engage one of the notches in the blade, one of the clamps being cut away at adjacent such cut away portion, having a projection adapted to occupy the other notch in the blade, said projection having a cam ually removing the projection from said notch in'the blade, substantially as described. '8'. An improved safetyrazor comprising a holder, a blade having notches in its edges, a

clip for holding the blade comprising a pair of spring clamps adapted to come together on opposite sides of the blade, means at one end of the clamp for engaging with the adjacent notch in the blade, the other end of the clip having a projection pressed out from one of the clamps for engaging with the other notch in the blade, said projection having an inclined wall adapted to guide the blade thereinto and provided with an abrupt wall for locking against the wall of the notch in the blade, substantially as described.

9. An improved safety razorincluding a holder having slotted and open bearings, a blade having trunnions rotatably and slidably fitted in said bearings,means forrotating and sliding the trunnions in said bearings, a guard, and lugs on the guard adapted to receive the edges of the blade when the same is slid forwardly, substantially as described ANDREW LANGSTAIFF JOHNSTON, .lr. 

